A Curiosity
... both individualism and conformity are mocked. Ionesco mocks conformity through the reasons that each character becomes a Rhinoceros. Daisy wants to be happy and understanding of everything. Berenger, as the last human, seems unhappy. The Rhinoceroses, however, seem happy and content. Therefore, being a Rhinoceros seems more appealing and beautiful to Daisy. She also becomes a Rhinoceros to escape intolerance, as she tells Berenger, "You're not to say unpleasant things about them. It upsets me." This is ironic because she can't see how intolerant they really are, as they effectively shun all non-pachyderms. Another example is Botard. He "protested" and feels the need to make a statement against something. Seeing that everyone responds negatively to them, Botard feels that he could express his . The irony with him is that he is becoming even less of an individual, as the Rhinoceroses are virtually indistinguishable from one another. Ionesco mocks individuality through Berenger's last speech. Ionesco feels that the human condition is absurd because you can simultaneously believe in two different ideologies that conflict with one another. Berenger demonstrates this, as he is torn between wanting to be a Rhinoceros ("Oh, how I wish I was like them!") and wanting to fight against them ("I'll take on the whole lot of them! I am not capitulating!"). Eugene Ionesco died on March 28, 1994 of undisclosed causes, having contributed a great deal to dramatic theory and the development of theatre. He believed that freedom could only be obtained by existing outside of history. T...